Northern Ireland experienced a second consecutive night of disorder on Wednesday, with riot police deploying water cannons against demonstrators near Belfast. The clashes centred on the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey, about 13 kilometres northwest of the city centre, where protesters lit fires and hurled projectiles at officers.
Footage from the scene showed groups of men dressed in black and wearing face coverings gathering along the Antrim Road. They targeted police vehicles with thrown objects while attempting to advance toward the Chimney Corner Hotel. Authorities responded with a significant presence of riot police and vans to contain the situation.
Demonstrators tore bricks from nearby properties and used sledgehammers to break up paving stones, creating makeshift missiles. They also set wheelie bins alight and placed them in the street. Police fired water cannons toward the crowds in an effort to restore order as fires burned in the area.
Motorists received warnings to avoid the Sandyknowes roundabout and the Ardmore Road at the Church Brae junction due to the ongoing incidents and burning debris. Similar disturbances were reported in Derry, though details remained limited.
The unrest follows an alleged knife attack in Belfast on Monday night. A 30-yr-old Sudanese man named Hadi Alodid faced charges on Wednesday for attempted murder, possession of a knife, and making threats to kill a hospital radiographer.
On the previous night, anti-immigration protests escalated into violence, with homes and a bus set on fire in parts of Belfast. Two men appeared in court charged with involvement in those riots, while an 18-yr-old was arrested on suspicion of riot after a petrol bomb injured two police officers in Carrickfergus.
The events highlight rising tensions around immigration in the region, with public order remaining a priority for the Police Service of Northern Ireland as investigations continue.
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